KARACHI, Oct 5: The Sindh government has taken all necessary measures to ensure peaceful elections in a free, fair and transparent manner.

This was stated by Sindh Chief Secretary K.B. Rind. He was briefing journalists after a meeting with Nazims and representatives of the law enforcement agencies on the law and order arrangements made in connection with the elections

He said cameras and helicopters would be used for aerial surveillance and the army could be called only for backup support.

Flanked by Home Secretary Brig Mukhtar Ahmad and IG Police Kamal Shah, the chief secretary said: “We have discussed with Nazims the deployment plan prepared for ensuring law and order and an environment where people can exercise their right to vote in a free and peaceful atmosphere, without any pressure.”

He said the administration had been warned that neutrality should not be bargained; if any functionary was involved in the election process in violation of the code of conduct, he would be taken to task without any consideration.

Regarding the complaints against Nazims’ involvement in politics, the chief secretary said that all such complaints had been sent to the Local Council Commission and its ruling would be final.

Mr Rind said that in Sindh there were 606 candidates against 61 general seats of the national assembly, while on 130 general seats of the Sindh Assembly 1544 candidates were in the run. For conducting elections and facilitating voters, 13962 polling stations were being set up against the 8400 in the 1997 elections.

“In the province 2,951 poling stations have been declared sensitive where extra vigilance and extra deployment of the police force will be made. At present, 4,200 police force is available, and a shortage of 4,100 will be met with utilisation of the Rangers, the Excise Police, the Janbaz Force and Forest Guards. And if there is further shortage, services of additional personnel will be acquired”, he added.

To a question, he said that foreign election observers would be free to go anywhere they would like to go to see the polling. Their visits to any areas would not be guided, but independent. They would only be provided security cover.

Home Secretary Brig Mukhtar said that to ensure observation of rules, a security mechanism had been worked out in consultation with all the stakeholders including Nazims and law enforcement agencies. This plan would be on the ground by Oct 8 with a crackdown, keeping in view the previous elections sensitivities.

He said that in view of the situation on the borders, the army and the rangers were not available for deployment everywhere as they were performing their duties on forward positions on the borders. However, army and rangers would be available for backup support of the police force.

Replying to questions, the home secretary said that the possibility of terrorism and sabotage could not be ruled out and due care had been taken while preparing the contingency plan.

IG Police Kamal Shah said that in order to avoid allegations of police interference in the poling, no police force personnel would be posted inside the polling stations; they would be entrusted the duty of safe delivery of election material to the returning officers and safe return of the ballots and other related material to the authorities.

He said that close contest between two rival candidates, tough fight, previous election tensions and the views of Nazims and candidates had been kept in view while declaring a polling station sensitive.

The police chief said that some 39000 police personnel were committed to strategic security duty with diplomats and airports and other sensitive places; they would not be withdrawn from the duty.

He said that besides deploying personnel of auxiliary forces like the Forest Guards and the Janabaz Force, services of private security services were also being acquired to meet the shortage.

In addition to deployment, he said, the reserve force would be made available at every police station and on the town level in the urban areas; and in the rural areas it would be made available on the Taluka and district level.

In Karachi also the mobile security cover would be available to handle the law and order situation.

The IG said that so far there was no specific information from any quarter about any act of sabotage or terrorism to be carried out during elections on October 10.

However, to cope with any terrorist threats, cameras and helicopters would be used for aerial vigilance.

He said that so far electioneering had been peaceful, excepting petty quarrels. Some FIRS were registered and some arrests made, but later the parties mutually sorted out the mater.

He expressed the hope that things would remain peaceful. The police chief denied the existence of any “no-go-areas” and Muttaheda Qaumi Movement had been granted permission to hold public meetings at the allocated ground in Landhi.